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Tips to Reduce Cholesterol

Tips to Reduce Cholesterol in Diet

High cholesterol in diets is one of the major health concerns around the world. A lot of diseases find their way into the body due to high levels of the bad cholesterol, LDL. It's possible to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the body by up to 20% simply by altering your diet. The secret here is to have diets that are rich in fish, vegetable oils, and other healthy fats, and avoid those having high levels of trans fats and saturated fats. Given here are a few tips to keep your cholesterol level in check:

To maintain a diet low in cholesterol, toss the polyunsaturated oil, trans fat margarines, and butter from the diet and substitute them with plant sterol spreads, olive or canola oil.

The next time you're going for food shopping, look for products that are specifically made for low cholesterol diets. HeartWise orange juice from Minute Maid, Smart Balance, Take Control, Promise, and Benecol margarines are fortified with sterols and stanols which play a part in blocking the cholesterol absorption in a body.

Have oatmeal in the morning. Experts agree that oatmeal is a major cholesterol-lowering super food, and starting the day with it can greatly improve your health.

Avoid whole eggs and try to substitute it with cholesterol-free eggs available in the market.

To lower the cholesterol level in tasty dishes, you can swap the rich cream sauce with light stir-fried vegetables.

Rather than using butter as a moistener for your pan while you cook, you can replace it with white wine variety of vinegar. It doesn't increase the fat in the diet, and also doesn't affect the flavors of the food.

Avoid using sour cream, butter, or any other similar fatty additive to food for giving it flavor. Instead, you can go for a low cholesterol diet containing different spices either when you are cooking or even when you're at the table. Make your food livelier by adding basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, coriander, cilantro, or cumin.

Changing the cooking methods can also help in preparing low cholesterol diets. Broiling, grilling, or roasting can greatly cut the fat intake from different types of meat. These cooking techniques let some amount of the fat drip off from the meat, instead of cooking the meat in its own fat, or some other fatty sauce. You should also opt for leaner slices of meat.

Avoid fast foods as these are rich in sodium, calories, and fats, which are a primary reason behind many heart ailments.

By following these steps, you can ensure that you're doing your part in reducing the harmful effects of the bad cholesterol in the body. It's never too late to start controlling your diet to reflect your healthy lifestyle.